COSECAM Continues to Provide Grants to Members and Partners to Combat Human Trafficking and Exploitation

COSECAM Coalition has provided a total of 487,300 euro in grant for 16 of its membership and partnership organizations in an effort to combat human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation in Cambodia and protect the victims and vulnerable people. This was the second year of the grant provision to those organizations.

The grant is provided to COSECAM by the European Commission through the Creating a Legal and Sustainable Environment for Trafficked Human Being from and in Cambodia, known by its acronym as CETHCam, a joint project between three NGOs, including COSECAM, a leading partner, Chab Dai Coalition and Ockenden Cambodia.

The sixteen membership and partnership organizations which received the grants from CETHCam are Cambodian Children Against Starvation and Violence Association (CCASVA), Goutte d' Eau/Domnok Toek Cambodia, Komar Rik Reay, Cambodian Women Development Agency (CWDA), KNK Network Cambodia, Cambodian Defenders Project (CDP), HAGAR, Healthcare Center for Children, Komar Ney Kdey Sangkhim, Meatophum Komar (Homeland), Goutte d’ Eau/Domnok Toek Poipet, Economic Development Support to Vulnerable and Trafficked Persons Project (EDVP), Destiny Rescue, Cambodian Center for the Protection of Children’s Rights (CCPCR), Legal Support for Children and Women (LSCW), and Ockenden.

"Through funding, technical advice to and monitoring of all service providers and partners, we expect they will provide professional services for the victims of trafficking and those who are at risk, especially, children and young women in Cambodia," says Mrs. Sea Sovityea, Field Coordination Unit Coordinator of CETHCam Project.

Executive Director of CCASVA, Mr. Phouk Bunroeun, says he is happy that his organization receives more funding for the second year.

"The grant from EU is very important for helping victim children. This also helps develop the grassroots people of Cambodia. This fund will be used to help the children who are victims of trafficking, violence and sexual abuses. I feel happy for the renewal which enables us to continue helping the children, both in the community and in the center." Mr. Bunroeun says.

Dr. Sam Sovannarith, Executive Director of Domnok Toek Cambodia, which assists children who are victims of exploitation and trafficking, says his organization would make the best use of this funding to benefit the target groups.

Dr. Sam Sovannarith says, "Well, we feel really happy for the renewal of fund from EU. We feel happy to cooperate and we will make the best use of this resource for the benefit of the target groups. We support their living, studies and vocational training."

Mrs. Prum Kim Chheng, Director of Komar Rik Reay, says the funding last year has helped 19 children at her center. She says that this year, the funding from CETHCam project makes up about 34% of the whole funding from various donors, adding that this year her organization will offer assistance to around 70 children.

"This is fairly big amount of money. This is a big share to help our operation to provide protection and assistance for children," Mrs. Prum Kim Chheng says.

Acting Director of Cambodian Women Development Agency, Mrs. Hun Phanna, says that funding is so vital for the continuation of helping the children who are victims of trafficking, sexual abuses and domestic violence. She says the money will be spent on providing education and vocational training services for those victims and vulnerable people.

Mrs. Hun Phanna goes on to say that the first-year funding from CETHCam project has helped 25 children at her organization's center, adding that this second-year funding will help a total of 55 children.

"We won't neglect those who have already been reintegrated. We will still do the follow-up. If we have enough ability, we will use the money to help them," Mrs. Hun Phanna says.

Between 2008 and 2009, during the first round of funding, COSECAM provided a total of 494,268 euro in grant to those sixteen membership and partnership organizations.

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